Cops: Shooting was drug deal gone bad

MORTON ó A male juvenile is hospitalized with gunshot wounds after a drug deal went bad on in a borough alleyway late Thursday.

James Siravo, 24, of Ridley Park, and Brian Lowrie, 18, of Chester, are behind bars charged in connection with the incident that began in an alley behind Morton Avenue around 10:32 p.m., according to court documents.

Sgt. Joseph LaSpina was on routine patrol near Kedron and Morton Avenues at that time when he spotted a gold Buick sedan leaving a parking lot on South Morton Avenue at a high rate of speed. The car jumped the curb and was being driven erratically, police said.

LaSpina radioed Officer David Smith to look out for the gold Buick. Smith spotted the car on Mitchell Avenue and initiated a traffic stop. When the car pulled over, a man wearing a black hoodie jumped out of the front passenger seat and took off, dropping a cellphone as he ran, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

The man, later identified as Lowrie, was apprehended by LaSpina and officers from Ridley Township on Unity Terrace, according to the affidavit.

An iPhone with a black and green case belonging to Siravo was later recovered, the court documents indicate.

When Smith spoke with the occupants of the Buick, he saw that the rear window of the car was shattered, there was blood on the rear passenger seat and a shell casing was on the floor.

A juvenile passenger appeared to be suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and was transferred to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, where he later underwent surgery, according to the affidavit.

The driver of the Buick allegedly told police it was a white male in a hoodie who shot the victim.

Responding officers searched the alley behind Morton Avenue and found five shell casings in the parking lot, along with shattered glass. The Delaware County Crime Scene unit was called in to assist.

Investigators obtained surveillance video, which showed the crime scene and shots being fired, the affidavit states. Two people, Siravo and a female, were seen in the video and later identified as residing nearby.

When police went to their residence to speak with the couple, a gun was in plain view, the affidavit states.

Siravo and the female allegedly gave police statements indicating that they had made arrangements by phone to meet two individuals to make a drug deal. When the deal went bad, one of the men, later identified as Lowrie, pulled out a firearm, and demanded they hand over their money and cellphones. When Lowrie handed the gun to the other male, a struggle ensued. Siravo gained control of the firearm and struck the juvenile male in the head. He allegedly shot the juvenile who jumped into the Buick along with Lowrie and took off. Siravo allegedly told police he fired several shots at the fleeing Buick.

Lowrie, of the 600 block of W. Fifth Street, Chester, was charged with robbery, aggravated assault, weapons violations and related offenses. He is being held in Delaware County prison on 10 percent of $500,000 bail.

Siravo, of the 400 block of Burk Avenue, Ridley Park, was charged with aggravated assault, recklessly endangering other person and weapons violations. He is being held on 10 percent of $250,000.